My Three Word Mantra for Ease, Focus & Empowerment
If you’ve ever attended a Yoga class you’ve probably heard or chanted the words “Om” at the beginning or end of practice. “Om” is the most common mantra and although only two words, it contains rich meaning and powerful benefits for your mind and body which you can learn more about here.
I was first introduced to mantra in 2015, during my 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) Training with Karen Miscall Bannon and was intrigued by the simplicity and purpose. A mantra is a word or phrase that when repeated frequently will aid in concentration.
The word mantra is derived from Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language) and when broken down literally means “tools of thought” - manas meaning ‘mind’ and tra meaning ‘tool’. For thousands of years, mantras have been used as a tool to manage the mind, regain focus and increase consciousness.
Why is this important? Because on average, humans have nearly 70,000 thoughts per day and if we aren’t actively choosing them (a.k.a. neuroplasticity) chances are you're defaulting to a mindset that may be holding you back from achieving your full potential.
I reconnected with mantra last year to help me stay focused during my 50k trail race training. Now a 50K is equal to just about 31 miles and prior to completing the race in November the longest I had ever run was just over 13 miles, so I knew that extra support would be required to expand my physical and mental capacity for this distance. In addition to hiring a fitness coach (highly recommend Wade Kammel by the way) I created the following mantra for myself: Smile. Forward. One. On training days where I didn’t want to complete the workout or didn’t think my body could run any further, I used this mantra as a tool to shift my mindset. To get present with the moment, focus on the next step and enjoy the journey.
In classic mantra form, these three words contained BIG meaning for me and below is what each of these words in my mantra mean to me (click each to enlarge).
Not only did this mantra help me during my five months of training and on race day, but here I am eight months after creating it and I still find myself coming back to those three powerful words. Smile. Forward. One. In addition to continuing to use it for my current health and wellness goals, I’ve begun to play with it in other areas of my life like business and relationships.
In those moments when I’m scared of the unknown, anxious about what others may think or find myself holding onto control just too tightly - I’ll pause and think to myself. Smile. Forward. One. And I’ll ask myself “how can I have more fun right now, what does progress look or feel like today and what is the next step I can take towards my goal?”.
Whether you have tons of experience with mantras or haven’t ever heard of them until now, I encourage you to try this technique. Create your own matra, google “mantra examples” for ideas or even use mine. Practice repeating it, chanting it, connecting to it, embodying it and notice how your mind and body respond in the moment and throughout the day(s) ahead.
For even more information on mantras, feel free to explore the resources I’ve curated for you below:
Already have a mantra and care to share? Complete the form below to send your mantra my way: